Dictionary
Latin-Portuguese-Japanese, based on Ambrogio Calepino's book, in which there
are no proper nouns of places or of men nor little usual terms, the meanings of
all the words and the suitable manners to speak are presented to the use and
the enjoyment of the japanese youth which studies carefully the Latin language
and for the european, which learn to express themselves in japanese.

The bottom of the page presents the place of edition, the authors and
the year of publication of this book:

to Amakusa in the Japanese college of the
society of Jesus with the eminent faculty

Year 1595

Between these 2 texts, other Latin words are
written on an ellipse :

Latin text :

IESU
NRA (the abbreviation of NOSTRA) REDE [ M ] PTIO

English translation : JESUS OUR REDEMPTION

This ellipse frames the
blazon of the Jesuits. It is about a sun, with its beams, inside which are
visible from top to bottom : a cross, the monogram IHS and 3 nails of the
crucifixion. The monogram IHS is an abbreviation of the name of "Jesus"
in greek: I (iota) =J, a H ( eta ) = È and S (sigma) = S. JES. = JESUS and IHS.
= IHΣOYΣ (in greek).

We can conclude that from it this dictionary
Latin-Portuguese-Japanese was used by Jesuits of Portuguese origin. They learnt
the Latin to Japanese of Amakusa who wanted to become a priest to allow them to
say masses in latin.

An other extract of this dictionary is shown,
9mn44 after the beginning of the episode 97. It is about the definition of the
Latin word santerna, ae(a word of the 1st declension) which is upper right of the
page 715 : cf. the attached file of the page 715 (file 2).

On this page, we notice in every definition
the presence of 2 abbreviations. The 1st : Lus.
(lusitanicum) announces a definition in portuguese and the 2nd : Iap.
(iaponicum ) announces a definition in japanese.

To arrive at a translation, I then resorted to
the dictionary which inspired that of Amakusa, It is the dictionary of Ambrogio
Calepino the 1st edition of which dates 1502 (Ambrosii Calepini dictionarium, maximum quanta fide ac diligentia fieri
potuit accurate emendatum multisque partibus cumulatum. Adjectae sunt latinis
dictionibus, hebraea graecae, gallicae, italicae, germanicae and hispanicae.
Accesserunt badges loquendi modi lectiores etymologiae, opposita,
translationes, adagia ex optimis quibusque auctoribus decerpta). This
dictionary was republished by numerous times and it inspired several
dictionaries among which that was writen in Amakusa.

I found on the page 1122 of the edition dating
1578 of the dictionary of Calepino (file 3 and 4), on whom appears the
definition of santerna (in the right column, the 7th definition from the bottom).

English translation : A kind of borax as
goldsmiths used to weld gold.

II - Summary of theHistory of
Christians in and Around Amakusa

1. Geography of Amakusa and Its
Surroundings

The
Amakusa archipelago is located south of Japan near the island of Kyushu, south
of Shimabara Peninsula and southeast of the city called Nagasaki.

Cf.
2 Attachments : (file 5 and file 6).

2. The Arrival of Christianity

From
1549, the first Jesuit missionary arrived in Japan, Francois Xavier is one of
the founders of this order ; some years later, the jesuits of portuguese origin
follow. In the 1580s the jesuits founded seminars and college in Amakusa. The
franciscan order is also present at that time in Japan. This period coincides
with the Tensho era (1573-1592) (the time is mentioned several times in the
investigation of Kindaichi about Amakusa). Due to the influence of the jesuits,
christianity begins to develop in the region of Kyushu and some Japanese feudal
lords are among the converts. A few years later in the early seventeenth
century, there are nearly 500 000 christians in Japan.

3. Repression of Christianity by The
Japanese Authorities

The
main japanese leaders are followers of Buddhism and Shintoism. However some of
them are afraid of the success of christianity. From 1587 the expulsion of the
missionaries was proclaimed.

The
Jesuits nevertheless manage to maintain their presence through 1613, and
Christianity is still growing.

The
anti-Christian persecutions resumed. One of the most famous examples of this
repression is crucifying 26 Christians in 1597, around Nagasaki.

In
1600, after the victory of his troops at the Battle of Sekigahara (mentioned in
the investigation of Kindaichi, the cursed samurai), the Tokugawa shogun takes
power over all the Japan. The time during which successive Tokugawa ruled the
Japanese archipelago, is called the era Edo (the old name of the city of Tokyo)
which lasts from 1600 to 1868 (the time is mentioned several times in the
investigation of Kindaichi in Amakusa). It is a time of deep isolationism for
Japan, which then refuses European influence. For christians, the situation
becomes difficult in 1614, with the proclamation of the edict of persecution of
christians. In the following years the christians are forced to renounce their
faith, some are killed, churches are destroyed.

It
is in this context that Shimabara revolt occurs in 1637 and 1638 (this insurrection
is mentioned in the investigation of Kindaichi in Amakusa). Amakusa and
Shimabara are then directed by the Tokugawa partisans, which attract the
hostility of the local population by anti-Christian repression and tax
increases. The young Amakusa Shiro, who is the son of a former vassal of the christian
daimyo clan, Konishi, then became head of the rebellion. The insurgents seized
the town of Arima, then gather in the castle of Hara (in the Shimabara peninsula).
They manage to repel first two offensive troops of the shogun. But in 1638,
following an assault, the 37 000 insurgents are exterminated for 3 days. Amakusa
Shiro is part of those killed, he was only 17 years old.

(Cf.
the statue visible in episode 95 at 11mn14 to the beginning of the épiode, cf.
file 6)

In
the following years the isolation of Japan and anti-Christian repression
reinforce including the banishment of the Portuguese in 1639 and the
establishment of a policy aimed at tracking down Christians.

Despite
all these difficulties, Christianity survives in Amakusa and its surroundings
thanks to the hidden Christians.

We
saw they worshiped statues of the Virgin Mary disguised as goddess Kannon (in
episode 95 of Kindaichi). (For japanese buddhist kannon has the appearance of a
woman and personifies the compassion). (cf. file 7).

4. The Reopening of Japan to Outside
Influences Particularly in The Field of Religion

In
1853, a fleet of war from the United States and led by Commodore Perry arrives
at Tokyo. Perry requires the opening of Japan to trade, and he threat the
shogun to bomb the city. The Shogun was therefore forced to give in to US
demands. A few years later in 1867, the 15th shogun Tokugawa cedes power to the
emperor, the young Mutsohito. The era of the reign of this king is called the
Meiji era (1868-1912) (it is mentioned in the episode 95 of Kindaichi). From
there, the European influence of the European countries is back in Japan
especially in the religious field. However, the latest persecution of
Christians in Japan took place between 1868 and 1873, after the return of
Christian missionaries (the foreign missions of Paris). In 1865 the father
Petitjean just made build the church Oura in Nagasaki, a French concession and
the first parishioners are European. Hidden Christians from Urakami come to
this church. But in 1868, they were deported and sentenced to forced labor.
This provoked the indignation of european public opinion and foreign powers
present in Japan for that country to abolish the edict of persecution. The
deportees Urakami could return home in 1873. It was only in 1889 that the law
on religious freedom was proclaimed in Japan. Since then Christianity is well
developed in Japan, especially in formerly Christian areas. Indeed, most of the
hidden Christians returned to the bosom of the church. There are still on the
islands of Amakusa, Goto and Ikitsuki, a minority of hidden Christians who have
preserved their ancient rituals transmitted from generation to generation,
including prayers in latin that the missionaries taught to their ancestors.

Attachments.

File 3 - The page of the definition of santerna in the latin dictionnary of Calepino

File 4 - The definition of santerna in the latin dictionnary of Calepino.

File 5 - Amakusa's location on the map of Japan.

File 6 - Map of the archipelago of Amakusa and Shimabara peninsula.

File 7 - The Virgin Mary disguised as Kanon.

Yui Shousetsu and Sassa Narimasa

The same investigation of Kindaichi in Amakusa also refers to two men supposed to have each left a treasure , which are famous in the history of Japan ( which have nothing to do with the history of Christians ) : Yui Shōsetsu (cf. file A) and Sassa Narimasa (cf. file B).

Yui Shōsetsu (1605- 1651) was a samurai. He led a samurai school, then he missed his attempted coup against the Tokugawa shogun ( at the time) in 1645 (which caused his suicide).

Sassa Narimasa (1536-1588) was a samurai who played an important political role in Japan and who led some provinces of the country ( that of Etchu and that of Higo ) . ( Yui as he also committed suicide : on the order of his head , because he failed to suppress a local rebellion .)